Improvement in artificial limbs



J. REICHENBACH. lmprovement in Artificial+Limbs.-

NO. 128,907. Patentedluly 9,1872.

UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN REICHENBACE, on PIITSBURG, PNNSYLVAIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE- HALF or ms RIGHT T0 ANTHONY wrsn, on SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

w Spccification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,907, datcd J uiy 9, 1872.

SPECIEIATION.

T0 all whom zt may conoem:

Be it known that I, J OEN REICHENBACH, of the city of Pittsburg, in the county of Aileghcny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a ncw and useful Improvcment in Artificial Limbs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description therc of, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, which represents an artificial leg, the upper portion being in section.

My ihvention is designed to furnish a closelyfitting and somewhat elastic scat for that part of the stump of the wearers leg or arm which is inserted within the cavity of the artificial limb when in use; and the nature of it consists in the features of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make usent my invention I Will proceed t0 describe the manner in which Iput it in practice.

The artificial limb A may be made of any desired material and construction. If it is solid, there is a suitable cavity made at the upper end larger in capacity than the stump tobe inserted therein. If the artificial Iimb is hollow, as is usually the case, 1'10 alteration is needed, except to make the cavity large enough.

In order to secure a perfect fit I take a piece of soit sheep-skin, and, having it thoroughly Wet, I apply it to that part of the stump of the wearer which is to enter the cavity of the artificial limb, and stretch and work it unti1it fits close to the skin, taking care that it is also per fectly smooth onthe exterior surface. 1 then take another strip of sheep-skin, similafly wet and pliable, and, wrapping it round the first layer, make it also fit closely. After this I app] y other layers of wet sheep-skin one after the other until a sufficient thickness is attained to produce a shell which, yvhen dry,wili be thiok enough to rctain its shape. In making this shell it is left open at the bottom, so that there may be no contact with the extremity of the stump. The second layer of sheep-skin which forms this shell is not pasted or glued to the first one, which is next to the wearers skin,but

the third and subsequent layers are pastcd or glued so that they Will adh ere together. When the shell thus formed is dry enough to bear reremova1 fromthe stump withouthanging its shape, which Will be the case in from ten t0 fifteen minutes, it is removed and laid aside until it becomes dry, when it Will be hard and stii' enough to retain its shape permanently. When dry, the inner or first layer of sheep-skin, Which was not glued to the second layer, is easily removed, for the purpose of allowing for shrinkage of the shell. If the sheep-skin shrink so much that the removal of one layer would not be enough to make allowance for this shrink age, two or more inside layers may be applied without paste or glue, so that they may be removed as described. 1 then take a plastic material, the composition of which will be hereinafter explained, and place it Within and around the upper extremity B of the cavity of the artificial limb, as at 0 in the drawing, and while yet soft and plastic the shcll of sheepskin, formed as hereinbefqre described, is inserted, and the limb is properly adjusted as to length and position. The artificial lin1b is then laid aside until the plastic material becomes hard and dry. It is then ready for use, the plastic material 0 adhering bpth to the artificial limb and to the sheep-skin shell, which is the shape ofthe cavity required to fit the stump, andforming the scat for the stump, while the sheep-skin sheil forms the lining. Gare should be taken not to close up the cavity at the lower end With the plastic material, but to leave it open, and thns avoid anypressurc on the extremity of the wearers limb.

If the wearer is not present to have the shecpskin shell fitted to the stump, a pattern may be made of the stump of the leg or arm by means of a plaster cast or otherwise but, as such cast shrinks and would cause too tight a fit in the scat of the limb, I prefer to make the sheep-. skin she1l direcflyfromtheperson of the wearer.

-If at any time any alteration is required in the shape of the scat, arising from swelling or shrinkage of the end of the stump, the lining or s11e11 0 which forms the scat maybe removed from the cavity of the artificial1imb and a fresh one inserted in the manner before desribed.

Various compositions might be used for the plastic material composing the scat of the stump, but I prefer to use a mixture of glue and wood-filings. I take ordinary glue and the filings of wood, (soft wood, such as pine,

being preferable.) The glue is dissolved in water to the consistency ordinarily used by carpenters and then the wood-filings are thoronghly mixed With it, using about half, by measure, of each. Wood-filings are preferable t0 saw-dnst, as beng mach finer and mixing more intimately with the glue. This makes a very plastic material, which, dry, is somewhat elastic and is very well adapted to the purpose. A scat thus formed has the additional advancage of tting s0 closely to the stump as usual] y to prevent the necessity of employing any fastenings or bandages to secure the limb to the stump when in use.

"I am aware that a scat or socket has been formed in an artificial limb by the use of successive laers of pliable material and with padding to provide for inequalities of surface; but I am not aware of a prior use of a plastic, as distinguished from a pliable, material for such purpose, or of a material capable of receiving and retaining an imprint of the stump or of its pattern without vulcanization.

What I daim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An inner soekct or scat in the upper end of an artificial limb formed by means of the stump or its pattern being embedded in a suitab]e plastic material such as Will receive and retain, without vulcanization, an exact imprint of, such stump or pattern, substantially as described;

2. As a lining for a socket of artificial limbs, a composition of glue and wood-filings or 0ther similar substances, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I, the said JOHN BEIGE- ENBACH, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN REICHENBACE.

Witn esses W. BAKEWELL, B. PAGE, J r. 

